Failsafe summer sandals, courtesy of Castañer

After a seemingly interminable winter, temperatures are finally picking up and the days are getting longer. Meaning that a) summer is coming, but also b) it’s time to start searching for the perfect pair of sandals; a style that is elevated but also slots effortlessly into your existing wardrobe. In this instance, it’s best to stick with a tried-and-tested shape. Enter the espadrille. Favored by the likes of Grace Kelly and Jane Birkin, over the years this humble shoe has become a bona fide closet essential – and this season is no exception.

Ardent fashion fans will know that, when it comes to espadrilles, Spanish heritage label Castañer is the final word – and it’s easy to see why. The Castañer family has been crafting espadrilles since the 18th century; however, the business began in earnest in 1927, when Luis Castañer and his cousin Tomàs Serra founded the brand’s first official workshop. Espadrilles have always been synonymous with Spain, but it was in the 1970s, after capturing the attention of style icons including Yves Saint Laurent – who had the Castañer family produce jute-soled wedges for his summer collections – that they went global. As covetable now as they ever were, Castañer counts fashion insiders such as Aimee Song, Pandora Sykes and Jenny Walton among their most fervent fans – not to mention Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who was spotted wearing her Castañer wedges not once but twice on her recent royal tour of South Africa.